As Florida Rep. Alan Grayson mulls a Senate campaign to the consternation of national Democrats, his girlfriend is quietly preparing her own bid to succeed Grayson in the House, POLITICO has learned.

Grayson’s girlfriend Dena Minning, a self-described “biotechnology entrepreneur” who has an MD and a Ph.D in biochemistry, has reached out to at least one Democratic-leaning group and clearly expressed her interest in running for the post, according to a message shown to POLITICO on the condition it not publish the contents or name the organization.

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Two sources close to Grayson and a third Democratic source with knowledge of the situation confirmed that Minning has expressed interest in running for Grayson’s House seat, Florida’s Ninth Congressional District.

The outspoken Grayson and Minning have repeatedly declined to comment about her potential bid, despite a week’s worth of telephone calls, text messages and emails to both of them. Grayson did find time on Monday, however, to issue an angry response to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s decision to back fellow Rep. Patrick Murphy’s Senate bid — an unsubtle reminder that Grayson would be defying the party’s wishes if he challenges Murphy for the Democratic nomination.

“Florida Democratic voters choose our party nominee, not out-of-touch party bosses sipping cognac in a smoke-filled room in Washington, D.C.,” Grayson said in an emailed statement issued through a spokesman.

When reminded about POLITICO’s calls the previous week concerning Grayson’s relationship with Minning, the congressman’s aide said he couldn’t be reached any longer because he was in Israel.

Minning, too, is traveling in Israel, according to posts on her Facebook page.

But on Twitter, Minning has actively talked up Grayson’s potential Senate bid and criticized Murphy. “Grayson & Murphy are tied. That will change once voters know Murphy’s stance on [Social Security]/Medicare,” Minning tweeted on April 6. When another user said a conservative Democrat would be better than a Republican winning the seat, Minning replied, “But if he votes WITH the #GOP, what’s the difference? Instead, how about a true #Democrat for FL Senate?”

Minning’s Facebook and Twitter accounts are heavily political, and she frequently retweets or cheers on Grayson. However, she seldom posts pictures of the two of them together — although she does post pictures of her with President Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former President Bill Clinton, former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

In a Jan. 20 Twitter picture of her and Pelosi before the president’s State of the Union, Grayson can be seen in the reflection of a gilded mirror in the corner. On Jan. 6, Minning tweeted that she’s proud to witness a gay wedding and attached a photo that showed Grayson in the background during the ceremony. On Facebook, she appears in pictures at a Grayson fundraiser in California.

Grayson’s statement bashing insiders for trying to “choose our party nominee” has a measure of irony in light of Minning’s interest in running for the seat. Minning’s potential candidacy could cause a rift in Grayson’s own office because his district director and longtime campaign adviser, Susannah Randolph, is considering a bid for the congressional seat if he vacates it.

“I wouldn’t say I’m interested. Yeah, I’d consider it for sure. But that’s only if Alan runs for Senate, and I’m not sure if that’s going to happen or not,” she said. “It all depends on what Alan does, and there’s no set course.”

When asked about the reports of Minning’s interest in the seat, Randolph said she was surprised. “I’m speechless,” Randolph said.

The likeliest candidate to run for Grayson’s seat if he vacates it, state Sen. Darren Soto, said he never heard about Minning coveting the seat.

“If Alan Grayson runs for Senate, I will run for his seat,” Soto said, pointing out there’s “substantial overlap” between his legislative district and Grayson’s congressional seat.

In addition to her medical degree and Ph.D, Minning is the founder and president of MedExpert Consulting, a firm that, according to her LinkedIn page, “leverages Dr. Minning’s unique combination of executive leadership, successful fundraising, and drug development expertise, along with experience in business development and market research and forecasting to maximize the potential of drug candidates and position companies for future strategic opportunities.”

Minning in 2013 and 2014 was also a registered federal lobbyist for MedExpert on behalf of a company called “BioCryst Pharmaceuticals” and sought “funding for development of medical countermeasures directed against bioterrorism agents that pose a significant threat to public health and national security,” according to her lobbyist disclosures. Minning’s LinkedIN page says she also “played a central role in successfully procuring a $25+ million contract from the US Government, awarded to one of her clients for the development of a broad-spectrum antiviral drug.”

Grayson and his wife of 25 years, Lolita, agreed to annul their marriage last month — the culmination of more than a year of divorce proceedings that included an allegation of bigamy against Lolita Grayson.

Some Florida progressives criticized the DSCC on Monday for endorsing the more moderate Murphy. Grayson has been the beneficiary of support from a group called the Democratic Progressive Caucus, which has talked him up during conference calls with reporters, as well as from other national liberal groups that generally align with the progressive politics of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

But some Grayson allies worry a Senate bid is a fool’s errand that would land him out of office at a time when he could be boosting his profile as a national liberal leader.

Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan, a major Democratic donor, said Soto would be the instant frontrunner if Grayson runs for higher office. He said Grayson never raised the issue of Minning running when the two of them sat down two weeks ago at the Hillstone Restaurant in Winter Park to talk about the Senate race. Morgan said he urged Grayson not to run for Senate.

“As your brother, as your friend, as your attorney, I believe you shouldn’t run for Senate,” Morgan said he told Grayson. “You’re going to have a lot of hurt feelings when people you think are going to support you won’t support your because they don’t think you can win statewide. And this is a seat we need to win.”

“Alan’s politics are closer to mine than anyone else in Florida. But like me, he is unfiltered. He speaks what he believes in. He’s unvarnished like me. And I couldn’t get elected dog catcher,” Morgan continued. “Alan’s going to find that out if he tries to run statewide how tough it is.”